Girardi is in his first season managing the Yankees after agreeing to a three-year contract last October. The team is likely to miss the playoffs for the first time since 1993, but Girardi wasn’t expected to be fired.

I’m not sure what the point of this AP Report is? After all, two weeks ago, the Post had this story:

Hank Steinbrenner today said the entire Yankee organization is at fault for the team’s unacceptable showing in the standings, with one notable exception: Joe Girardi isn’t part of the problem, according to the Baby Boss.

“As far as Girardi is concerned, who I think is brilliant, this is his first year and he’s had to play the hand he was dealt,” Steinbrenner said during the Yankees’ 3-2 victory over the Red Sox at the Stadium.

“Not only that, he lost a lot of his parts through injuries. Baseball managers can’t perform miracles. It’s easier for a football coach to do that. For a baseball manager it’s more leadership and having the parts, having the players.”

Steinbrenner said he hasn’t considered the notion the results would be any different this season if Joe Torre were still managing the Yankees. Torre’s Dodgers remain in the NL West title chase, albeit with a losing record.

“The Dodgers are in the easy division, the National League West,” Steinbrenner said. “If the Dodgers were in the American League East, they would be nowhere, that’s the bottom line. But Joe was a great manager and Joe Girardi is going to be a great manager. We try to avoid picking bad managers. Torre was great and Girardi is going to be great. So, no, it wouldn’t have made a difference.”

Seems like the AP is trying to make a story out of nothing here, to me.